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Thread: Red-Truck fly Rod's & reels

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  1. #1

    Default Red-Truck fly Rod's & reels

    Hi folks,
    I had a chance to fish with a guide provided “red-truck” fly rod and reel combination the other day on the American for stripers and really liked the feel of it. It was a 10 foot 7 weight with a 26 foot sink tip line and we were tossing and stripping in Clousers. Here is a link to a web site I found that carries the “red truck” rods and reels.

    http://www.lelandfly.com/Red-Truck-Fly-Rods/

    This web site contained some nice positive video’s reviewing and describing this and some other red-truck rods and combinations as well. This particular combination I fished with was touted as an outstanding nymphing outfit and I can imagine it would be. It worked well for me casting our clouser streamers as well. Until this opportunity to use this outfit I had never even heard of Red-Truck fly rods and figure they must be relatively new.

    Does anybody out there own one of these rods an/or have anything to share with me about the rods? Right now I am about ready to put in an order for this outfit and add to my collection.

    Thanks for any feedback.

    Bill

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]10995[/ATTACH

    By the way the striper fishing was pretty slow, two of us hooked about a half dozen small fish floating from Grist Mill to Howe Avenue, half day, still nice to get out on the water
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    Bill Ward, ie, Bluegrass Bill, Sacramento, CA
    Guitar Player for Western Lights Band
    Bluegrass and Beyond!
    http://westernlightsband.com/

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    7,786

    Default Red Truck Rods....

    Bill,.... Here's a vote for making an order now. You have first hand experience with the Red Truck Rod and it sounds like you liked it. If you learned anything additional from the guide, you probably won't find out much more from people on a second hand basis. Buy it and enjoy....
    "America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won't cross the street to vote."

    Author unknown

  3. #3

    Default

    Darian, that is great advice and I believe I will add this one to my collection. It really fills a hole for me between my 6 and 8 weights and as good as it was for casting my sink tip shooting head I just know its length at 10 feet will make it a great nymphing rod as well. I suspect it is just a fairly new line of equipment and probably not many even on this board would be familiar with it.

    Thanks again!
    Bill Ward, ie, Bluegrass Bill, Sacramento, CA
    Guitar Player for Western Lights Band
    Bluegrass and Beyond!
    http://westernlightsband.com/

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,925

    Default

    The only problem with custom rods or home made rods or imported "shop rods" is down the road, who will warranty them if they break?

    If these shops or rod builders go out of business then nobody will stand behind these rods.

    There are a few long term reputable custom rod builders like Gary Anderson of Anderson Custom
    Rods and Jim Clarkston of Raptor Rods who will warranty their rods.

    If the rods are on close out prices then that is different. It is worth the risk.....

    If you are spending much money for a good fly rod I would stay with companies that have been around a while and hopefully will be there when you break it.


    Many guides, especially new ones, will use what ever rods that companies will give them free.

    ost of the top guides will be using Sage which are not free but at a good price to top guides.


    We have had many people over the years come in with fly rods that not only don't have anyone to warranty them, you can't even get parts to fix them. Then they are not too happy......



    .
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Folsom, CA
    Posts
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    Default

    Bill, while the warranty issue is definitely something to consider, I own a couple Red Truck rods (a spey and a switch) and few of their reels, and I love the feel of them too. They have served me well over quite a few hours on the river with no problems. Since they are modestly priced (as far as fly rods go), my thinking was to just buy what I liked using and what felt good. What happens 10 years from now is a worry for another day.

    Steve

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    7,786

    Default Down the Road....

    Amen!!! Hey Bill, you found a good rod that you like, congrats!! Given the price point of Redtruck rods, the warranty is a secondary consideration unless you plan on breaking or damaging the rod anytime soon. As to finding parts to build/rebuild a rod, DIY, quality reel seats, grips and guides are still available for those who look for them and if you ever want/need to rebuild that rod thru another person, there're a couple of people in this area who do that line of work.
    "America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won't cross the street to vote."

    Author unknown

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    NorCAL
    Posts
    127

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired View Post
    The only problem with custom rods or home made rods or imported "shop rods" is down the road, who will warranty them if they break?

    If these shops or rod builders go out of business then nobody will stand behind these rods.

    There are a few long term reputable custom rod builders like Gary Anderson of Anderson Custom
    Rods and Jim Clarkston of Raptor Rods who will warranty their rods.

    If the rods are on close out prices then that is different. It is worth the risk.....

    If you are spending much money for a good fly rod I would stay with companies that have been around a while and hopefully will be there when you break it.


    Many guides, especially new ones, will use what ever rods that companies will give them free.

    ost of the top guides will be using Sage which are not free but at a good price to top guides.


    We have had many people over the years come in with fly rods that not only don't have anyone to warranty them, you can't even get parts to fix them. Then they are not too happy......



    .
    Bill Kiene I respectfully disagree. The bigger companies like Sage, Loomis, etcerera are so expensive because they originally billed in the cost of a replacement into the original purchace price because the warranty was originally free back in the day. And now that its not did they lower the purchase price? No. The price of the warranty repair is going up and the only way the cost of the rod is going down is because those companies started allowing cabelas and such to sell their products, which screwed fly shops.

    I will say that other than the old Sage XP, the only rod I like better for steelhead is the Red Truck 1953 8 Weight. Takes me a few years to beat the hell out of the line guides. I prefer the stiffness in the lower part of the blank but the medium action in the tip. Fast Action rods are for wind, bobber or people who cant cast. I fish shooting heads, the 1953 launches them, and its wonderful to fight fish. I've caught hundreds of steelhead on the Red Truck 1953. Its a great rod. And I havent been into Lelands for over a year and over a year before that. Im not a homer commentator.

    Oh yeah, and I think you can buy three Red Trucks for one Sage Loomis Loop Beulah, etc...

    Hows that for warranty repair?
    Last edited by Walter; 07-24-2015 at 01:40 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Folsom, CA
    Posts
    3

    Default

    No disrespect was intended towards Bill Kiene or anyone at the Kiene shop just because we commented on a non-traditional brand, but either this forum is a free exchange of ideas and information or it’s just another censored advertisement for a single corporate interest, and I'd like to think that’s not the case. Just my $.02

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